You
can order parts such as an heating element and/or thermostat by calling
our office. We can assist you in getting the right part.
888-922-1511
M-F 9-5

How do you recommend cleaning
the inside of the smoker?

Replace the foil lining the wood
box and bottom of smoker after every
use. Use a warm damp sponge to wipe the inside of the smoker down. Make
sure you take care not to bring it back to the “like new” stage. The
creosote that lines the inside caused by the heat and smoke acts as a
barrier against moisture and helps lock in that smoked flavor.

What
are the main differences between your smoker and the other smokers?

First and foremost, SmokinTex
gives you a full two-year
warranty --
the best and longest in the industry. Most others are 30 or 90 days and
full of exceptions. The extent of the warranty is a reflection of the
confidence the company has in the product. You can register your warranty
here.

SmokinTex
smokers are all stainless steel inside and out for easier maintenance
and cleaning and, of course, durability. We are insulated so that,
according to our Alaska customers our smoker will operate at 30 degrees
below zero. The insulation also means that you don’t have to worry
about burning yourself if you touch the smoker while it’s in operation,
a great safety feature when it’s in your backyard and you have kids or
pets around.

SmokinTex
smokers have about 30% more capacity than the comparably priced smoker
which is our nearest competitor.

Virtually
all other smokers are not built to last, ours is. They have plastic
parts, poorly built locking systems, little or no insulation, parts
that rust, and few, if any, repair or replacement parts.

We
feel our smokers are a once in a lifetime purchase and our outstanding
customer service is recognized all over the industry and, most
importantly, by our customers.

Alder: The hickory of the
West Coast. Alder's delicate sweet flavorenriches all fish, seafood, and meats.

Apple: Slightly sweet, fruity smoke that's
mild enough for chicken
or turkey. Great with all pork.

Cherry: Cherry produces a similar taste to
apple - it produces a very mild and fruity flavor. Great with chicken,
turkey, and fish or flavoring
ham.

Hickory: In the southern barbecue belt, a lot
of folks think this is the only wood to use. For everything. Most BBQ
places use nothing else.
The strong, hearty taste is perfect for brisket, ribs, and pork
shoulder.Also great with any red meat or poultry.

Maple: Mildly
smoky and sweet, maple goes well with poultry,
ham, and vegetables. Try with brisket.

Mesquite: The wood of Texas, it's great for
grilling but not great for
smoking. It burns very hot and can make your food taste bitter. Get
your smoker smoking really well, turn it off, and put in a few steaks.
Smoke for 10 minutes, then finish on a hot grill. Great flavor!

Oak: It's the
most versatile of the hardwoods, blending well with a
wide range of foods. Gives a great flavor to brisket.

Pecan:
Preferred wood by a lot of non-BBQ restaurants.
Pecan burns cooler and offers a subtle richness of character.
Often referred to as a mellow version of hickory.

The smokers have a temp
range of 100°F - 250°F degrees. We don’t have a recipe above 225°F
degrees.

Just
seasoned my newSmokinTexsmoker
and smoke comes out of the sides of the door. Will that go away with
use?

Yes, sometimes initially smoke
escapes but with time a tight seal is established.

How do I know if it's the
heating element or the thermostat that needs replacing?

After turning the temp control off,
unplug the smoker. Take the back off smoker, take the two wires off the
thermostat and put them together with an open paper clip.Plug the unit back in and turn the temp
control to 100 degrees or so. If the element heats up then it’s most
likely the
thermostat that needs replacing. If the heating element does not
heat up then
it’s the heating element that needs replacing.

What type of heating element
is included?

The
1100 comes with one 350-watt heating element. The 1400 comes with one
700-watt heating element and all 1500 series smokers have two 700-watt
heating elements for a total of 1400 watts.

What kind of voltage does the
smoker use?

The smoker operates on a standard
household outlet. 120v single phase
current. You can plug it into any standard outlet, no special wiring
required.

How much variation does the
thermostat have?
See a detailed temperature test from a customer here.

The temperature will swing 45º F
degrees either way from the set point.
This is caused by the heat still being produced by the wood box after
the thermostat turns the heating element off. This is very normal in
any electric smoker. We are smoking/cooking at a low temperature and it
is the average between the high and low that we look at.

Where does the grease go?

There is a drain hole on the bottom
of the smoker and the grease runs
out there into the stainless steel drip pan for easy removal, cleaning
and replacement. Be sure to poke a hole in the foil you place on the
floor of your smoker.

Can you use wood chips instead
of the wood chunks?

Yes, line the bottom of the wood
box with foil to prevent the wood chips falling through the holes. Or
purchase our Wood Chip Insert
for use with wood chips. See all our Wood Chipshere.

How long and at what
temperature do you smoke chicken legs and thighs?

Smoke at 225ºF for 2 to 3 hours
until the internal temperature reaches 165º F to 170º F.

How do you get the skin of
turkey or chicken crispy?

You can either put it on the grill
until crispy or you can put it in
your oven at a high temperature or even use the broiler after smoking.
It won't take long since the chicken or turkey is already cooked. See
how a SmokinTex Forums
member dusts his chicken with corn starch here.

If your ribs come out dry how do you save
them?

All you have to do is wrap it up in
some foil and put your favorite bbq
sauce or apple juice on it and put it in the oven @ 250º F degrees.

After you smoke a brisket what
is the best way to re heat it?

If you don't have a lot of fat on
it wrap it up in some foil and add
some water to it and put it back into the smoker @ 200º- 210º F degrees
until the internal temperature reaches 150º F degrees.

How much wood does the smoker
come with?

The
smoker comes with blocks of oak wood for break-in only. Other woods for
flavoring are available on our online site or call us at 888-922-1511. Try a couple of
different types to find the flavors you
like, they're all good and they add a personal touch to your smokin'.

If your ribs keep turning out dry what is
another way you can do them?

Start by smoking them for 2 hours,
pull them and wrap them in foil and
put some water in the bottom of the foil, put back in the smoker for 4
hours at 225º F degrees.

How does the deflector plate
work?

The deflector plate will direct the
dripping onto or away from the wood
box. If you have it turned and it looks like a roof then you are
putting more moisture onto the wood box. If you have it turned like a
“v” shape then you are directing the drippings toward the grease hole
and away from the wood box, so it is reducing the moisture in your
product

Where does the deflector plate
go?

You place it in the bottom shelf
of your smoker right above the wood box.

Why don't you have to soak the
wood before you put it into the smoker?

With other smokers you have fire to
heat up your wood and then you have
to add water to create more smoke. SmokinTex uses
a heating element to
heat up the wood which burns it slow and creates more smoke but without
the fire. We feel it's a more even application of the smoke flavor to
your meat or fish.

If it is a cured ham its already
cooked and all you have to do is warm
it up and add smoke flavor, then you would smoke/cook for about 2 hrs
at about 190°F degrees or until you get the internal temperature at
110°F
degrees.
If it is a fresh ham smoke/cook for 5 hrs at 130°F degrees then 5 hrs
at
200°F degrees or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F degrees.

Does the unit come assembled?

Yes, the unit is fully assembled
except the wheels and all you need to do is screw them in.

How does the smoker vent and
does it require any special venting to use inside?

The smoke will be sort of heavy for
the first 2 hours of smoking.
During the smoke time you will want the smoker under a vent a hood or
near a door with a fan behind it. After the smoke cycle the unit can
sit anywhere as it's like an oven then.

There was a “popping noise”
and puffs of smoke coming out of the smoker door, what could have
caused this?

Sometimes there is extra gas
trapped in the wood itself and it gets
heated up and releases causing the “popping”. This is similar to what
can happen in a wood burning fireplace from time to time. It is nothing
to worry about and should stop shortly.

Is there anything special I should do to
prepare my new smoker for use?

Yes, you should add wood to the
wood box and turn the unit to 225
degrees and let it smoke for about 4 hours. This will coat the inside
with a creosote lining that prevents moisture build up and allows the
wood flavoring you use afterward to flavor your meat, poultry or fish.

What can I smoke in the unit?

Anything you want to add that great
smoky flavor. Virtually any
meat, poultry or fish can be smoked. You can also add that great smoky
flavor to baked potatoes, baked beans and other vegetables. Smoked nuts
and cheese are a big hit! Suggestions
are added to our web site as we find them, either from our own
experience or from our customers discovering new uses. Please remember
to let us know by email about any new use you've discovered that is not
in our recipe book or on our online site so we can add it so other
users can try your ideas and recipes.

How can I get recipes for my
smoker?

We
have recipes for our smokers in the
following places and are constantly adding to them:

a. The operating Manual/Cookbook
that came with
your smoker or we have them online on our site too.

c.On
our web site in our SmokinTex Forums
our customers have posted many recipes and
suggestions and if you have a specific question you can post it to the Forum
and one of our great customers will provide an answer and suggestions.

e.We
send out aSmokinTex
Newsletterby email
about every month
containing recipe ideas,
helpful hints and more. Go to:www.SmokinTex.com
and sign up for our news letter (scroll to bottom of the page). All our
archived newsletters are available in the
“News” section of our web site also.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to see morecurrent newsletters.

Thru the
above sources you’ll have hundreds of recipes and suggestions available
to you and
thenumber will continue to grow as we
add more customers who use their SmokinTex
smoker in ways we never
imagined.

What other uses can I use my
SmokinTex smoker?

As
a warmer. You can keep your food warm for a long period of time at a
temperature you set and the unit will maintain that temperature for
you.

As a cooker for non-smoked foods. You can
slow cook any food without that smoky flavor using the thermostat to
set your temperature. There are ideas and directions in the cook book
and the online site.

To make jerky. You can make your own jerky
from virtually any meat. The cook book and online site have suggestions
and recipes.

There
are many other uses for your unit. Let your own imagination lead
you to these uses! And when you find one, let us know so we can pass
them on to your fellow SmokinTex
owners.

If you have any other questions call us at 888-922-1511 and we will be glad to
talk with you!

Any special cleaning
instructions for the cold smoke plate?

Yes, clean only with a warm
damp cloth. Immersing in liquid may damage the insulation. Insert into
smoker with flat side down.